Afghanistan is a graveyard of resources, but the likelihood of monetizing them remains dim Yad_FPEnergy FPEnergy
memo in 2010 reportedly described Afghanistan as “the Saudi Arabia of lithium,” meaning it could be as crucial for the global supply of the battery metal as the Arab country is for crude oil.Article content
A Fulbright Scholar with a doctorate from Columbia University, Ghani taught at some of America’s elite academic institutions before stints at the World Bank and United Nations. Developing Afghanistan minerals in the rugged and remote terrains will be difficult, because of the security situation, lack of infrastructure needed to haul minerals to global markets, and rampant corruption.
With the Taliban at the helm, few Western investors will be eager to dip their toes in the country. One consultancy that helps clients assess business risk in troubled countries told the Financial Post that it had not conducted any study on Afghanistan’s resources because its clients had “zero interest.”Beijing will likely have few qualms about dealing with the Taliban regime, Alan Dowd, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, said in an email.
Afghanistan has a GDP of around US$19 billion and a GDP per capita of US$507, making it one of the world’s poorest countries, with poverty levels hitting 47 per cent, according to the Asian Development Bank.Article content It’s unlikely that the Taliban will be able to tap the country’s international reserves of US$9.8 billion in cash, gold and other instruments.
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